Results 5,821-5,840 of 7,126 for speaker:Alan Farrell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I completely agree with the Minister. We need to dramatically increase our ambition in regard to construction. I am conscious that my time is about to expire. Deputy O'Sullivan was talking about local authorities and their role in the roll-out of public charging points at the various levels. I refer the Minister to an article that I am sure he saw in The Irish Timeson 17 January which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: It was €5,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: In terms of a takeaway or ambition to improve upon the public charging points scheme, it has been accepted now that there is an issue that the level of support from the SEAI is not sufficient for some local authorities. I acknowledge that the Minister mentioned Fingal-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: -----because to be fair, the council is doing excellent work but maybe is not drawing down funds from this particular source.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I am sorry, Chairman. This is my final point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (16 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Is it possible for the Minister to provide a commitment that a review of that particular scheme will take place in terms of the uptake from local authorities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister for attending and for his opening remarks. I apologise for being a little late as I was chairing the Dáil, but I did read the Minister's submission in advance. One of the biggest drivers of conversation in the committee over the past year has probably been offshore energy. Committee members had the benefit of travelling to Scotland where the vast majority of us...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: The Minister knows as well as I do that we are in a global race to acquire not just the skill-set and expertise to deliver on our climate action targets well beyond 2030 but to secure the raw materials necessary to deliver same. For instance, the Minister will be aware that on the island of Ireland, there is only one port capable at the moment of supporting offshore wind development and that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Are there opportunities?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Is there a mechanism to allow for this task force to report? What is the reporting format of the task force? Is it for consumption by ourselves and the Oireachtas or is it purely something that is being managed at a departmental level or Cabinet level?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Is that something for us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I agree.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: The Minister mentioned in his opening remarks the decarbonisation of the industrial base in terms of warehousing and their own buildings, and setting out, to my mind, a mechanism for how we would achieve or incentivise that. Also, when you look to retrofitting the residential sector, you look to the SEAI. Obviously the SEAI has a role to play. What departmental work does the Minister...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Has there been much uptake of those schemes? Uptake is a key indicator of whether a plan is successful and enticing for a sector.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I understand.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: I apologise. I am afraid my time is almost out and I want to focus on a final issue that is important to me. It relates to trying to get as much concrete as possible out of the construction sector across the board, as quickly as possible. I understand the Minister's Department has an interdepartmental group that is looking at modern methods of construction. I touched on this previously...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Alan Farrell: Yes, it is. A huge amount of work needs to be done on the regulations and terms and conditions of use of timber-frame technology in Ireland. For instance, we are behind other jurisdictions, as far as I am concerned. I am wondering what that body will do; when we will hear about it in a report to Cabinet or to the Oireachtas; and what steps we expect to take as a result of the changes I...